Humans have been harvesting honey for millennia. Carvings in Egyptian tombs show hives made of clay tubes, suggesting our savvy ancient cousins mastered the art of beekeeping some 4,000 years ago.
This early form of apiculture not only relieved our forefathers from hair-raising raids on wild nests but also supplied them with honey, alcohol and all-important candles, on demand. Indeed, honeybees were so prized that ancient people named their children after them – the names Deborah and Melissa both stem from the Hebrew and Greek words for bee.
On the face of it, our love of bees is undiminished. In fact, it is even enjoying a resurgence. Membership of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) has grown from around 10,000 in 2007 to over 20,000 today. Over the same period, the number of hives kept by the average beekeeper has risen from three to five; meaning British amateur beekeepers now care for some 3 billion bees. New urban initiatives, meanwhile, are putting hives in such unlikely places as the National Theatre, London College of Fashion and hotel roofs.
But while beekeeping is enjoying a surge in popularity, the future of bees is too important to be left to enthusiastic amateurs alone. Commercial bee farmers maintain a far greater number of hives per person, and move them around so the bees pollinate different crops. Yet there are just 638 commercial bee farmers operating in the UK today; Wales has just three. And although there are now 250,000 hives in the UK, the Bee Farmers Association (BFA), which represents the professionals, warns that almost 1 million more are required to meet the pollination needs of the UK and to sustain increased food production. The UK only produces around 4,100 tonnes of honey, while we consume around 30,000 tonnes in total.
The ramifications of too few hives are well documented. Bees are vital to food production and are important pollinators of many of the domestically grown fruits and vegetables we eat. Recent research suggests that some crops may yield up to 40% more if they are efficiently pollinated – which explains why farmers in some areas of the world pay beekeepers to put hives into their fields and orchards.
One of the ways in which the bee-farming community intends to increase the numbers of hives in Britain is by capturing the imagination of a younger generation. This is why in 2013 Rowse Honey and the BFA launched a pioneering bee-farming apprenticeship scheme aimed at equipping young people with the skills to make a career in the industry.
“The UK has a heritage in bee farming, but there’s a skills shortage and an aging profile in the industry,” says Ian Ainsworth, MD for Rowse Honey. “In fact, the average bee farmer today is 66 years old. Our aim is to counteract the decline in honeybees in the UK and to help grow the bee-farming industry, but we need young people to help us do this. We estimate that each apprentice could ultimately manage approximately 100 hives each – an additional 3,000 hives in total – that will contribute approximately 234 tonnes of honey to UK honey production. Feedback from our pilot scheme is that this is a dream job for the right person, so if you have a passion for farming, bees and the great outdoors then we want to hear from you.”
During the three-year scheme, which is open to 16 to 24-year-olds, apprentices are employed on a bee farm where they gain practical experience in everything from queen rearing and carpentry, to finance and bottling. Those who complete the programme are awarded a Diploma Towards Excellence in Bee Farming by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers. It is hoped the graduates will go on to secure the future of both the wax and honey industries in Britain.
Read the inspiring stories of Britain’s young bee farmers
Interested in becoming a bee farmer? Then find out more at rowsehoney.co.uk/beeabeefarmer
